Pokemon League Academy of Excellence
by Ginnifred
Summary: Set in a boarding school the story of several teens, their struggles, their fun, and maybe some romance! Check it out: UPDATED APRIL 16TH 2009
1. Chapter 1

_**Pokemon League Academy of Excellence**_

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Pokemon, but Milena Laighin is my original character, and is not to be used without my permission.

UPDATED AND EDITED!

Working on the next two chapters! They should be up by late next week!

Milena Laighin nervously 'walked' her pointer and index fingers on the windowsill of her stuffy third floor bachelor-ette apartment. It was cheap and proved that you only get what you pay for; it was one average sized room that was combined as kitchen, living room and bedroom. The 'bathroom', just off of what Lena, as she was more commonly known as, called her 'bedroom', was small with barely enough room to stretch your arms out without touching both corner shower and door. Her other hand was propping up her head as she watched the sidewalk below her. Her grey eyes appeared to glaze over in the afternoons' heat as the 17 year old awaited the mailman and possibly for the outcome of her future.

It was late summer in the Johto region, and Lena had been waiting weeks for her response from the Pokemon League Academy of Excellence (P.L.A.E. for short). It was a relatively new school, more of a university if it could be compared, of only 20 years. Those accepted were few and far between and the price, unless you were lucky to receive a scholarship, was a hefty one. But the benefits were vast if you passed the Academy; you could do anything you wanted to with Pokemon; breed, train, raise, become a Gym Leader, join the Elite Four, etc. Of course, these all depended on final exam marks and your recommendations from the school. The school, located on the border of Johto and Kanto, is just south east of the Pokemon League itself. If she failed to be accepted into the League's school, she would more than likely spend the rest of her life working at the diner she had been working at since the age of 15 when she left home after finishing her advanced schooling.

Not only was she waiting for her acceptance, she also awaited her possible scholarship, which could pay for up to ¾'s of her expenses during her 4 year stay at the Academy. The school ran the full 4 years, with 1-month breaks during the summer months and 2 weeks for Christmas; it took a dedicated person to complete the 4 years. Many, in fact, dropped out during the first 6 months because of the rigorous pace. While Lena was a bright and dedicated student, she often wondered if she had it in her to make it to and through the PLAE. She had been top of her class in school as well as her advanced schooling, but PLAE was a completely different league. Everyone there deserved to be there and wanted to be there. Everyone competed for top grades, because all had been top of their in their hometowns. PLAE accepted students as young as 16 and as old as 18 for their first year studies; Lena had just recently saved the money she needed to attend, but only if she received the scholarship.

Sudden movement along the sidewalk caught the blonde haired girls' attention; her fingers stopped their almost panicked walking and she corrected her gaze; mailman! Jumping up from her perch by the windowsill, Lena ran full tilt to the door of her apartment, down the narrow and crooked stairway; almost knocking over poor Mrs. Harris, the elderly lady living on the second floor as she flew through the door. She met the mailman before he even made it to the edge of the old house turned apartment building. "Do you have anything for me?" all of this came out in a flutter as Lena walked with the man, though backwards, along the sidewalk.

"Now, I wouldn't know, would I? Apartment?" he asked mockingly. The blonde haired girl had been pestering him for weeks when she was home; he knew exactly who she was and where she lived.

"Yes you would!" Lena practically whined; her grey eyes wide as she pouted. "Milena Laighin; apartment 3! I've been pestering you for weeks!"

The mailman smirked. "Well, I may just have something for you." He made a show of taking the mail sack of off his shoulder, opening the sack and fumbling around. "Yup," he added. "It's in here somewhere, now that I recall. Some pretty looking letter; in a nice envelope with some sort of pretty looking wax seal."

Lena's fingers twitch for the envelope, which the man was still fumbling for. She wanted to knock the man unconscious, steal his bag, and run off into the alley to open her letter. She'd even deliver the rest of the mail for him if only he'd hurry up. And then suddenly he was passing her the heavy paper envelope, with the nice red wax seal and perfect calligraphy spelled out into _her_ name and _her _address on the front.

"Well?" The man knew perfectly well where that letter had come from; he'd seen some before, he was a mailman, after all. "Open it up!" He said exasperatedly as he closed his satchel and stood. "You were so antsy to get it, and now you're hesitating?"

Lena shook herself from her stupor. They had responded, that was a good sign, right? Half the time they didn't even bother responding. With shaking hands, she opened the seal, some of the wax sticky from the heat. She pulled out the papers inside (multiple papers were good, right?) and began to read:

_Miss Milena Laighin,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been formally invited to attend the Pokemon Academy of Excellence beginning the September the first. Enclosed you will find your billing information and supplies list. Any further information as to where to catch the train and find supplies is included._

_We thank you for your interest and hope to see you on September the first!_

_Sincerely,_

_Elva Townsend,_

_Headmistress _

Lena stood shock still; her mouth agape in an almost horrified manner; she had been accepted? Milena Laighin, from a family of nobody's, had been accepted to the P.L.A.E.? This must be some kind of joke; Lena thought for sure they must be kidding and that the other papers were going to tell her that of course she hadn't been accepted and it was all some horrible joke. But they didn't. One was her supplies list and where to find everything, where to catch her train and her transit number, and one a list of commonly asked questions. She looked on the back of her first paper; no it wasn't a joke.

"Well?" The mailman inquired; he hadn't moved, this was just too interesting.

Lena blinked like a deer in headlights; he was still there? "I was accepted." She replied almost mechanically; this was too weird. "I was _accepted_." She replied in a murmur. "Oh my goodness! I've been accepted!" Lena's face burst into a wide smile and she began to jump around, doing a bit of a happy dance somehow mixed between the chicken dance and a tap dance. She was so happy she even hugged the mailman; and when she was running up the stairs, she stopped to hug Mrs. Harris, who was peeking out the second floor window at the neighbours. Reaching her apartment, she closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment, before transferring herself to her couch. She read, and re-read the papers, and finally took notice of the smaller, less formal looking envelope that had been in the larger envelope. She nearly gulped when she realized what it was; the response to her applying, well, _begging_, for a scholarship. It didn't matter if she had been accepted into the school; this was what determined if she could go or not. With fingers trembling more than before she ripped open the letter, taking it in with wide, fearful eyes.

_Miss Milena Laighin,_

_After considering your proposal from many of the others applying for our three year scholarship to the school, it appears that you have met all of the requirements. We are pleased to offer you the Pokemon League Academy of Excellence Scholarship. Enclosed is the cheque, made out to you, which you can use for living expenses, books and other supplies you might need over the next three years. We hope to see you on September the first!_

_Sincerely,_

_Bill Burden,_

_Deputy Headmaster_

'Okay, breathbreathbreath'. Lena repeated quickly to herself. This was absolutely impossible, there must have been others more qualified than her? She read the letter over again, looked at the cheque and nearly threw up all over the place; people actually have that much money to dole out?

After recovering the side-effects, Lena read the extra information. Her train left from Goldenrod City the day after the next at 9: 30 am. She'd need her transit number to board. All of her supplies could be found at the Goldenrod Shopping Plaza. She could deposit her cheque at anytime. Okay, this was good. And then it hit her; what was she going to do with her apartment? She couldn't just leave, could she? Yes, she could and she would. Her landlord would deal with it; she'd see him in the morning. Okay, all of her stuff? Pawn shop! She wouldn't need it anymore; even if she were on summer break she'd probably stay on at the school, they offered summer employment.

Later that evening when Lena had pawned off all but her personal items; put in her notice with her landlord, who had had no qualm with her leaving; deposited her cheque; and quitting her job, Lena looked about her almost empty apartment with a sudden sadness. All she had ever known had happened here, and if not here just outside of the town where her father was living. It was a sort of sad-happy moment, but Lena was grateful for the chance to do something with her life.

She took her familiar perch on the window, looking out on Ecruteak City, which was slowing as the sun began to set. She found that sitting was making her antsy, so Lena got up and slipped into her sandals, and went for a walk down to the take-out restaurant a block away. Lena picked up some noodles, and walked slowly around the block, eating as she went. She wondered if maybe she should say goodbye to anyone, or if she had gotten everyone. She assumed she had; she only knew her landlord and the girls she worked with at the diner. She found herself looking up at her apartment an hour later. She ascended the stairs and let herself in again. All of her furniture had been sold, so she curled up on the floor, using her bag as a pillow and her coat as a blanket, and fell asleep slowly; her stomach unwilling to settle in all of the excitement. Somewhere around 2 am it finally settled, and Lena fell to sleep.

She awoke quite early, for all she had had very little sleep, at around 8:30am. Groggily she fumbled her way out of her sleeping bag and made for the bathroom, and the shower. Stepping out ten minutes later, she quickly towel dried longer blonde hair, and dressed in a pair of cut off jean shorts and a black t-shirt. She shoved her dirty clothes and her sandals into a plastic bag and into her bag, and pulled out a pair of ratty-looking beat up tennis shoes, stained with dirt from years of use. Lena wrinkled her nose at them and decided that it might be time to purchase a new pair. Lastly she pulled her backpack up on her back, and took one last look at her apartment, and closed the door quietly behind her. As she reached her mailbox just outside the door, she opened it up, dropped her apartment keys inside and turned towards the bus depot. Lena walked for about 20 minutes before reaching it; and went inside to inquire prices and times to Goldenrod City.

"Goldenrod City?" The attendant repeated. "There's a bus leaving in ten minutes; the cost is $43.50. Would you like to buy a ticket?"

"Yes, I'll take a ticket." Lena pulled a few bills out of her pocket and handed them to the woman. She received the change and gave her bag to be weighed and loaded with the others. She got on the bus, taking a seat close to the front so she'd be one of the first off, and settled in for the 2 hour bus ride.

She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew she heard the bus driver, "Goldenrod Shopping Plaza!" Startled, she rose, her back giving a few little cracks from sitting while sleeping. She joined the queue exiting the bus, and was soon outside collecting her backpack. She took it aside, and pulled her supplies list out.

_Suggested Supplies:_

_1. Casual and dress clothing for weekends and special occasions. (ATTN: Uniforms will be distributed once the students arrive and are housed)._

_2. Proper foot wear. Sneakers, sandals, one pair of good hiking boots. (ATTN: Everyday shoes will be provided by the school). _

_3. Notebooks, pens, pencils, calculators, etc. Text can be purchased at the school shop._

_4. Bathroom supplies (toothbrush and paste, shampoo, etc). _

_5. Bedding and any decorations you'd like for your room. _

_notice: Mini-fridges, laptops, and microwaves will be supplied by the school. _

Lena stopped and looked at the list. Casual clothing; she hadn't bought herself clothes in over a year, and her shoes were in even worse condition. She'd need new everything. Considering all she ever wore was her diner uniform and occasionally some worn out shorts when she wasn't working, Lena had little of anything. So she'd need some clothes, school supplies, bath stuff…….she needed luggage before she bought anything! Hoisting her bag up onto her back, Lena made out to find a luggage shop inside the Plaza that wouldn't cost her a fortune. She found two that were completely unreasonable; and was wholly discouraged at the third that she found. It was a dimly lit luggage store, and had your basic back packs and travel cases. The man inside was friendly enough; he was big and round with greying dark brown hair and green eyes covered in large bug eyed glasses.

"What can I do for you today, miss?" He asked, joining Lena on the other side of the counter.

Lena smiled slightly at the man and began to explain; "I'm off to P.L.A.E., and I'm looking for some light weight luggage that I can carry with me."

The man's intelligent green eyes lightened and he called out to the back room, "Lovey, someone is looking for some _lightweight_ luggage. Could you bring me out three pieces?"

Lena eyed the man oddly, wondering why he was calling an employee 'lovey' and emphasizing 'lightweight'. Lena understood immediately the 'lovey'. The woman who came from the back room was round and plump, her curly greying blonde hair pinned up, glasses dangling around her neck. It was the man's wife; but she had no idea why there were three large metal trunks with her. The woman pulled them out on a trolly, and smiled at Lena. "I think you'll find these quite adequate."

Lena wrinkled her nose slightly and blinked. "But, they're made of metal?"

"Au contraire!" The man smiled knowingly at Lena. "That is what they appear, but not what they are. Pass me your bag."

Reluctantly Lena passed her bag to the man; first retrieving her wallet from the side pouch. She understood why no one had given the shop a second glance; the pair of them were crazy! She immediately regretted her thoughts when the man tossed her bag into the trunk, closed it and pushed what had appeared to be a lock, but was actually a button. With a small wisp of white smoke, the trunk was gone and a small capsule, which Lena could fit in her hand, was in its place. The look on her face must have said it all; because the man chuckled, picked up the capsule and pressed the small top into the body of it, tossing it to the ground, a second small wisp of smoke and the trunk was back, and her bag was inside.

"Will this suit?" The man asked, watching Lena with that knowing smile.

"How…" Lena blinked. Never mind how, she'd take it! "I'll take them. How do they work?"

The man smiled again, pressing the buttons on all three of the chests, and three capsules appearing, each labelled a different colour: yellow, blue and red. He passed them to Lena, who held them delicately as she peered at them. "Why, I can't reveal my secrets! But I can guarantee you they'll never break! They come with a lifetime guarantee."

"How much?" Lena grimaced slightly. She knew it would cost a pretty penny.

"$400.00 each." The man replied, as he rummaged for something under his desk, he pulled a box out and dropped it on the counter. "You get one of these free, however."

Lena's stomach had done a funny flop at the price; but were they ever worth it! She'd never be burdened by bags and parcels again, something that was going to be useful. She took a look in the box and found several different coloured satchels, the kind of pouch that was carried around the waist. Lena pulled out one made of a soft, brown leather and tried it around her waist, the actual pouch off to one side in the back where the pocket of her shorts were. The pouch was about the size of a paperback novel, and about as thin. It had a flap that covered three little capsule holders, and a larger compartment that she found fit her wallet. As she placed the capsules in their holders, she wondered why they weren't so popular, but then, they might be new and difficult to make. Whatever the case, she was grateful, and thanked the couple profusely after she had dished out the $1200.00.

From there on out the shopping was a blur; and by 6:00 pm that evening, Lena's trunks were almost completely full, with room left over for her school clothes and books. She wandered the streets and found a café where she got some supper and found directions to the train station and lodging for the night. Just up the street was a lodging house for travellers, and the hostess welcomed Lena with open arms. Her name, she told Lena, was Rosa, and she was a very plump happy looking woman. She showed Lena to the dining room, where she forced stew on Lena and then showed her up to her room for the evening. Lena would pay in the morning after her breakfast.

Lena closed the door behind Rosa, and stripped down to her shirt and underwear, not bothering to get her pj's out of her trunk. She slid in between the soft cool sheets, and snuggled down into the bed; she fell asleep immediately.

Please R&R!

Gin


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

Lena awoke with a start at 8am, or so the clock on the bedside table told her. She was slightly confused, and couldn't recall where she was and why. Crawling out of bed she stood and stretched and peered out of the window. She was in Goldenrod and…finally it hit her and her body was jolted by sudden excitement; she was off to P.L.A.E.! With a burst of energy she grabbed the fluffy white towels from the back of the bedroom door; wrapped one around her middle and practically skipped down the hall to the bathing rooms. She knocked first to make sure no one was in the room, and then entered locking it behind her. The room was steamy and fragrant and when she entered the shower, she found an array of soaps and shampoos to use. Lena just used the first of everything she found; she didn't have time to dally. Ten minutes later she was again towel drying her blonde hair and then recalled that she hadn't brought clothes with her.

She wrapped the towels firmly around herself and peeked outside; the coast was clear…Lena stepped out, stopped, and blushed. Shoot! Someone had just exited the door across from the bathroom, and stood equally dazed.

"Oh…um, well." He stuttered, his lightly freckled cheeks blushing deeply as he tried to avert his light green eyes and look at the same time. "Not exactly…well, I wasn't…"

"Uhmm, yes. I think I'll just…" Lena pointed down the hall to her room and scurried to the door and inside. She dressed in frenzy; she knew he wouldn't walk in on her, but her mind was still thinking he would. Pulling her dry hair up into a pony tail she gave herself a quick once over in the long mirror on the back of the door before realizing she had put her new red t-shirt on backwards. Quickly she righted the thing and straightened it. She pulled on a new pair of darker denim jeans and slipped her feet into a new pair of white and red tennis shoes, one of the few pairs she had splurged on at the shoe store and then grabbed her belt pouch and clipped it around her waist. She quickly retrieved the red capsule from her pouch and pressed the button, opening the chest. She rummaged through until she found her transit number, slipped it in the pouch with her wallet, and closed the trunk with a small wisp of misty smoke. Satisfied she made her way down to the dining room and Rosa quickly seated her and soon a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and pancakes was before her. Lena thanked the woman profusely and began pouring syrup all over her bacon and pancakes. She began to devour the meal; she had always sucked at cooking, one reason they never allowed her in the kitchen at the diner.

"Can I sit here? There doesn't seem to be anywhere else."

Lena looked up and nearly spat her mouthful of food everywhere. It was him! She didn't want to see him! But it was true; Lena realized as she looked around, the room was full. She swallowed half chewed food with difficulty and smiled awkwardly. "Uh, sure." She shuffled over on the bench a bit and he sat down next to her. He cleared his throat awkwardly, but other than that the two ate in an uncomfortable silence, bumping arms occasionally as one reached for the syrup or the butter, or whatever it was they needed. Hastily Lena scraped the last of her meal and checked her watch; 8:50am, she needed to move. She stood up and stepped over the bench, she gave the boy a half-hearted smile as she made her way to the front desk, where she paid Rosa who sent her off with directions and a smothering hug.

Lena found the train station without difficulty; there were signs pointing to it on almost every street, and it seemed a large amount of people used the train. She joined the queue to the information booth. She waited there until almost 9:10, finally able to speak with a young man. "Where is the train for P.L.A.E.? I have this transit number and nothing else…" Lena asked awkwardly, she hated it when she couldn't fully explain herself.

"Oh! You're going to miss it if you don't hurry. You just go through those gates there on the right, and show the guard your paper; he'll take you right to it." The young man gave her a wink. "Good luck with P.L.A.E., it's a toughie."

"So I hear," Lena said with a crooked grin as she trotted off to the gate, where she was promptly led to the train and into a coach. She scanned the available rooms and found an empty one; no need to make an awkward journey riding with people she didn't know! Closing the door behind her, Lena settled into the window seat, squishing down into the plump, soft blue benches. The train lurched forward, and Lena turned her head to watch the train station roll quickly by. Well, there it went, her past. She had a sudden urge to bail, but realized how silly that would be what with all that lay before her and all of the opportunities she had to prove to herself and others that she was a somebody. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when her door slid open and a boy flittered in.

"Oh, Hello!" He smiled, his aqua eyes alive with energy. Lena couldn't help but notice how straight and white his teeth were, how tanned and toned his body was, and how lovely blonde and curly his hair was. And then, her expectations dropped dramatically. "Well, aren't you a cute little thing! I might have thought you good enough for me if I swung that way!" He winked as he stowed away his tote above him on the other bench across from hers.

"Excuse me?" Lena quirked her eyebrows…swing what way? Oh! "You're gay?" Lena said questionably, that might have been abrupt of her, but she couldn't really have said anything else what with how he had announced it.

He plopped himself in the seat across from her and smiled again, chuckling slightly. "Yes. And it's such a tragedy for you girls to have lost me."

Lena snorted. "So I see," she laughed a bit; playing along, for she could tell her was joking with her. "I'm Milena Laighin."

"Ben Catarel." He replied, offering Lena his hand.

She promptly returned the gesture with a friendly shake. "So where are you off to on such a nice day?"

The boy eyed her oddly. "The same place as you." Lena pursed her lips in surprise; how had he known, the train couldn't possibly be completely for the P.L.A.E. students? "This train is strictly for P.L.A.E. students, didn't you know?"

"Oh, no, I hadn't known." Lena smiled sheepishly; it seemed she had a lot to learn. "Have you been there before? It's my first year, and I'm not sure what to expect."

"Nope!" Ben replied quickly with a smile. "I'm very excited about it though! My sister went there; which is why I know all the little things." He smirked at Lena; "Don't worry, I'll take you under my wing."

Lena smirked back. "I can take care of myself, but if you insist." She shrugged, suggesting she didn't mind either way. "So what else should I know?"

"Well, for starters; first years are divided into one of four houses: Fire, Water, Grass, or Lightening. They do this via tests. Once in the house you'll be roomed with girls in your year; any good deeds or doing well in class earns you points towards your Pokemon."

"Pokemon? We get to pick our own?'" Lena nearly burst; how unreal was this?

"Of course," Ben replied easily. "You have to earn them with points; they're not easy to come by, mind you. Pokemon are costly, and you'll need to stock up points to get good ones." Ben shrugged as if this wasn't going to be a problem. "Professors keep track of your points, and you can look them up on the computers at the school. Sure, you could easily get a Pidgey, Sentret or Poocheyna within your first week, but wouldn't it be better to wait a few months to get something a bit better? Like an Eevee or a Pikachu? And too, it depends on availability."

"It sounds like a good deal to me; you work hard and are rewarded." Lena nodded, thinking of what her first Pokemon would be.

"Bad behaviour, even by your classmates can lose you points as well." Ben sighed, "So it's easy to lose what you've gained, because not _everyone _wants to be there, as most people assume. Some are only there because their family is old money, or donates to the school." Ben shrugged again, "you always get the bad with the good. It can't be all good."

Lena nodded, knowingly. Those were the kids who went year after year because they had money to burn; how she envied their lives. But again; she wouldn't appreciate much if it came so easily. "So what is the best house?"

"Personally," and Ben smiled at this, "I think the Fire house is the best. A lot of your better students get into that house; think your dedicated and loyal ones. Lightening is good too, but I hear they're sore losers; they lose the tournament at the end of every year."

"Oh," Lena said as she leaned back into the seat. "I suppose all of the houses have their better qualities. So what is this tournament?" Ben appeared to have patience; he was taking her questioning with ease anyhow.

"Every year, teams of two tag-team battle other houses. It's a three round battle. A team from each year, a boy and a girl from each house competes. They pick the teams based on how they do during the school year. It's not completely mark based, though sometimes it can be. They look at extra-curricular and the dedication and general disposition of the students chosen." Ben smiled at this. "My sister was chosen in her second and third years; it would be nice if I could be one year, at least."

Lena nodded, unsure of how she would feel if she were picked. Excited, but nervous…what if she let everyone in her house down? "It would be pretty fun."

Ben nodded, smiling. "Mhmm. And the winners of each level get a bonus prize; a rare Pokemon or just a bunch of extra points. It depends on what they have available."

Lena sat back and listened to Ben talk, and could he ever talk. The sky began to brighten outside the train and Lena guessed that it must be past mid-day. She automatically looked at her wrist for the time…and realized she didn't have a watch and hadn't had one in some time actually. Since the first time they had let her cook at the Diner and she had dropped it in the fryer. Well…old habits die-hard.

"It's 3:15. We must almost be there…I'm starved." Ben peeked out the window just as a squeal was heard and the train lurched as it slowed down to a crawl. The pair, Ben and Lena, pressed their faces against the window to watch the station come into view. It consisted of one large central brick building with a wooden platform. In the distance, up in the mountains that ranged all behind the station and she guessed as far as her eyes could see, Lena could make out a large stone building with towers and wings and a few smaller buildings ranged around it.

"Come on Lena, stop gawking and let's move before the crowd does." Ben grabbed her shoulder and spun her around and in front of him. Lena slid the door open and the pair was caught up the beginnings of a bustle in the corridors. He steered her to the nearest exit and they hopped off the train.

Lena stopped to gawk at her peers, some obviously knowing what they were doing, and others not so much. "Move along Lena, come on." Ben poked her and spoke in a mothering tone.

Lena turned and gave him a mocking glare. "This is all new to me, give me a minute!" She turned and allowed Ben to steer her to wherever it was he was steering her. She felt her jaw drop as she noticed some elegant coaches drawn by Rapidash…how she would love to have a Rapidash…so lovely and strong…

"First years don't take the coaches." Ben stated, cutting into Lena's daydreaming. She had a thought to give him a good hard prod for ruining her moment.

"Well! Then what do we take? Pidgey?" Lena asked mockingly, how else would they get up to the school?

Ben smirked and pulled Lena to a stop. "You'll see," he said quietly.

"FIRST YEARS! Gather round!" A shrill little woman squawked from her position on top of a large box. "EXECUTIVES! QUIT GAWKING AND GET IN THOSE COACHES!" Lena felt others mill in and huddle around them, a good sized group of them all equally dazed and confused, though others had a knowing smirk, Ben among them. Lena gazed at the woman, and noted that she needed the box; she couldn't be more than 5 feet! She was squat and plump, a large amount of excess skin dangling below her chin, her cheeks sagging and bigly. Lena knew she did not want to see much of this woman; she could tell by her looks she was not well liked.

Within what seemed moments the last of the first years were gathered round, and the Executives were off along the track to the school.

"Now! Welcome to PLAE! For your first test as a student here, we want to judge your teamwork ability, your courage, your knowledge and your adaptability! We want to know that we have the right students! As such; you will be divided into groups of 6 and left in the wilderness to find your own way to the school." Someone snorted and the sharp woman found them instantly. "Think it's funny, do you? Easy even? Not for you my girl! A Dawson, aren't you, yes I can tell by the eyes. Split them up!"

A younger, thinner woman appeared from the sidelines with a list attached to a clipboard. "As I call your name, you will go to one of our Professors; they will beckon you and take you to your drop off point with your team mates. Pay attention!" She began to call a flurry of names, and Lena tried to match face with name, but found it hard so settled for listening for her and Ben's names. A time later they were down to 36 out of 72 first years and Lena heard her name called. "Milena Laighin!" Lena looked up and at the woman and then to the man beckoning to her. She heard a stream of names behind her own, "Rania Khalek! Tristan Meritt, Ben Catarel, Isla Kemp, and Dane Winthrop!"

She trotted over to the man who smiled slightly at her and handed her a black blindfold. "Put these on," he said as the rest of the group approached, Ben standing next to Lena, tying hers on then his own. "Good. Take each other's hands," he placed Ben's in Lena's and another in Lena's other hand. "There. Now, follow me, I've got the leaders' hand here and I'll take you to your drop off point."

They walked for what seemed like an hour, or to those blindfolded, quite a long time. Time moved slower when you couldn't see the light or anything at all for that matter. Lena tripped up on something hard, stubbing her toe and muffling a curse. Only the hands holding her kept her from falling on her face. Soon they were in the woods, and well in deep for the gradual dimming of even the small amount of light permitted by the scarves was darker than before.

"You will not remove your scarves until you hear a gunshot. You have only each other to rely on and your own instincts, good luck." He said rather cheerily. Or Lena found it rather cheery, coming from the guy who likely had a ride up to the school. They all listened to the retreating footsteps, slowly they faded away until only chirruping and the rustle of the wind in the leaves was heard.

"This is ridiculous! I'm taking this stupid scarf off!" A feminine voice said with vehemence. "Frig! Are you all going to stand there like dweebs with your scarves on?"

Lena pulled the scarf off, and smoothed her static filled blonde hair. The girl who had spoken was beautiful, with lovely cocoa skin; long, luscious raven locks and big brown chocolate brown eyes. She was one of those girls that made others feel like crap, even if the beauty was a nice person.

"Rania Khalek." She nodded and smiled at Lena.

"Milena Laighin. You can just call me Lena."

Ben peered around waiting for the others to take their turns and found the others quite silent. "Well, I'm Ben Catarel. You can just call me Ben." He stuck his tongue out mockingly at Lena who returned with an equally childish response.

"I'm Tristan Meritt." Lena looked at the boy and nearly choked; it was him! "You!"

"You!" Lena pointed.

"Ben and Rania!" Ben chuckled at his own corny joke while Lena and Tristan stared at each other. "What's the significance?"

"Nothing!" Tristan and Lena answered in unison. They eyed each other and then chose to ignore each other.

"I'm Dane…" A small boy who appeared barely older than 12 said shyly. He rubbed his messy dark brown curly locks as if hoping to put them in place, but they still continued to go every-which-way. His nose was dotted in freckles and his cheeks were still a bit chubby with baby fat, adding to his young appearance.

"And I'm Isla." Lena peered up at the girl….she was a freaking Amazon! She must be at least 5'10"! She was exceptionally tall, but not slight in the least. She was well toned with dark auburn hair of unknown length as she had it pulled up into a messy looking bun with a few strands falling out around her eyes which were a deep navy blue. Her skin was extremely fair without freckles and her facial features that of a strong woman; prominent cheek bones and small but plump lips and a high forehead.

A sudden loud gunshot was heard in the distance and the entire group jumped in surprise.

"Any ideas as to where we go?" Ben asked cheerily, his hands in his jean pockets.

"I tried to peek out of my scarf but I didn't see much but grass." Rania admitted with a smile as she shrugged her shoulders.

Lena looked around. Well, they were in the woods, duh; and picking a random direction wouldn't help them. They needed to get their bearings… "Isla, could you lift Dane up onto the branch on that tree behind you. From there, Dane can climb up as high as he can and look for mountains or even for PLAE itself."

"Why do I have to do it!" Dane and Isla said in unison, Dale rather frightened looking and Isla looking rather annoyed with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Because you're the smallest and Isla is the biggest, duh." Ben replied easily, leaning himself against one of the tree trunks. Lena cringed….he did not just call Isla big…bad Ben! He was going to get it for sure.

Dane pouted and then turned beat red. "I won't be for long! My brothers are all big and strong, pretty soon I'll be bigger than Isla!" He nodded as if that settled the fact and crossed his arms over his chest.

Isla snorted and then pursed her lips. "Are you all calling me fat? Was that a fat joke?" She stared down Ben who began to look rather uncomfortable. "I may be tall, but I am NOT fat!"

Tristan shifted uncomfortably, honestly, they were going to get nowhere. Quite quickly he had lifted himself up to the branch in question, although with slight difficulty, and then shimmied up the tree from branch to branch until it was impossible for him to go any further; the branches would not hold his weight if he went higher. Parting the lush green leaves he saw that they were indeed in the middle of the forest, with no road leading anyway. But there were the mountains to the east of them, not even an hours trek to the base, and unless his eyes were mistaking him, that plateau was where PLAE was located. Slowly he made his way down the tree and jumped from the last branch to the bottom, landing in a crouch. He stood and brushed his hands off. "We should head east."

Isla was about to throttle Ben, who still hadn't disclaimed that he had called her fat. "What makes you say that?" She nearly snapped.

Tristan wanted to roll his eyes. "Because, I was up in the tree and looked. The mountains are that way and so is PLAE. Honestly," He turned and this time he did roll his eyes as he trekked east. He didn't want to spend the night in the forest and he was starved, if they moved fast they might be there by nightfall. …if everyone shut up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

It was Dane who first heard the screaming; Tristan who found the source. Moments later the rest of his group were behind them, heads cocked to the side looking at another group who had somehow gotten themselves caught up in a net. The net was dangling some 6 feet in the air from a tree. Lena recognized one of the faces; it was that Dawson girl who had snickered on the train platform. Whatever it meant to be a Dawson, Lena wasn't positive, but she was sure she would find out.

The Dawson girl looked agape at the other group and then snarled; "WELL! Are you going to cut us down, or not?" Her hair was black and short in a pixie cut, bangs pinned to the side with a jeweled bobby pin. Her eyes were blue, big and round with a button nose and pink rosy lips.

Rania was the first to speak, with her brows furrowed and hands on her hips; "Not with that attitude we're not! And isn't it a race? First team there wins? Why should we help the competition?"

The Dawson girl stared with vehemence at Rania; a look of deep dislike. "We're too far away from the school for it to make a difference! When you get us down, we'll go our separate ways." Her eyes were big and pleading, but still somehow Lena found it hard to assure herself that any truth came out of the girl.

Isla tapped her foot on the ground in annoyance, "Look! Just cut them down and be done with it; we're wasting time!"

Dawson smiled in a cheshire cat grin and all the more Lena found it difficult to trust the girl. As Ben shimmied up the tree and Dawson and her group began to whisper, it was even more of an incentive not to trust her. Ben hacked at the tightly bound rope with a semi-sharp rock and soon enough the group fell to ground with a 'thud'. They scrambled out of the net and brushed themselves off; Dawson was the only girl of the entire group. Ben jumped down and joined his group milling around the tree trunk. Quicker than they thought was possible the five boys had pinned Lena and her group to the tree trunk and Dawson smirked as she wrapped the rope net around them and the tree, one of the boys securing it tightly to the trunk.

Lena eyed Dawson with distaste; how unfair was this! "We do you a favor, and you do us wrong! This is not fair!"

"Adapt." Dawson hissed, and then smiled cutely. "It's all about survival of the fittest, if any of your group had any sense you would have left us in the tree and then you may have won; we're less than five kilometers from the school, just up over that peak there actually," she smiled more as pointed north-west. "Ta-ta!" She blew the group a kiss and sauntered off north-west and towards victory.

"Well, we've certainly got ourselves deep in the poo, now haven't we?" Ben looked around, hopelessness evident on his face as the other group disappeared around a bend.

"Shut up, Ben." Isla rolled her eyes and tried to wriggle her arms out of the rope. "If we don't get out of this soon we might become Ursaring food! It's starting to get dark."

As if none of them had noticed, they all at once gazed up at the sky, now beginning to turn a deep shade of orange. And again, they all at once began to wriggle around, trying desperately to get a limb free. Dane could barely wriggle at all; he was tied next to Isla who dwarfed him easily; his toes barely touched the ground.

"Wait! Wait!" Dane cried, a wide grin on his childish face. "Everyone lean forward, pull the rope as much as you can; I might be able to wiggle out if I have a bit more leeway."

Ben, Lena, Isla, Tristan and Rania all leaned as far forward as was possible and Dane began to squiggle and wiggle his way downward. Soon his feet were touching the ground, and within ten minutes his head popped out, his face all grins at his success. He had a few scrapes on his arms and cheeks, but that didn't seem to deter him in the least. He scrambled to the knots and began to work on them, his tongue sticking out as he concentrated. Another few minutes passed and the ropes gave way as the entire group joined him in freedom.

"It sucks that we were so close to being the first to arrive and we blew it." Lena shrugged and sighed slightly as the group continued at a reduced pace.

Ben looked at her aghast. "What are you talking about, Lena? Dawson has no idea where she is going, and her group looked about as thick as an Onix on steroids."

"What are you saying?" Dane piped up; he wiped dark curls from his face, smearing his forehead with dirt. Rania rolled her eyes and grabbed the boys' head, much to his dislike and wiped it off with the sleeve of her sweater. Dane muffled a few well chosen curses as she did so, glaring at her when she was finished.

"Dawson is going in the complete wrong direction. We're aiming for the peak without snow; she and her group are going west towards the snow peaked mountain. We still have a chance." Ben smiled proudly as some loud voices were heard in the distance behind them.

"Should we pick up the pace then?" Rania asked as they heard they voices becoming closer and closer.

"I think we should be running." Tristan replied as he peered over his shoulder. The group didn't even bother to look over their shoulders; they just ran pell-mell towards the school.

Lena was gasping for air when they reached the last of their sprint. In the last 2 kilometers, the other groups had slowly gained on them, being less than 900 meters behind now. And suddenly, as they rounded a group of trees, there it was; resplendent and beautiful made of graying stone with large paned windows and towers. A large greenhouse stood behind the main building, as well as several other stone buildings much smaller than the main one. There was a lake filled with what Lena would guess as chilling water; it came down in a magnificent waterfall, straight out of the mountain.

"They…di-didn't tell…us where to…go." Dane rasped, his hands resting on his knees, gasping gulps if air.

Isla poked at a stitch in her side. "I'm guessing to the main building. We better get going, they're getting closer."

Tristan gulped some more air before motioning for the others to follow; "Let's go somewhere so someone sees us." He jogged off, the rest of the weary group keeping pace with him. They guessed right, because as they approached main doors and began up the stairs, several others groups were also hurtling towards the main doors. Reaching the top of the stairs, their legs burning with pain they caught their first glace at their Headwoman, Elva Townsend.

She was a heavy set woman with a big bust; her features were almost hawk like, from her long, straight raven black hair to her beaked and prominent nose and small black eyes set behind black rimmed glasses. She looked to be in her late forties. At her side sitting almost statuesque was an Umbreon, and a well-trained and elderly one at that.

In a gesture that looked like it never should have come from the woman before them, Elva Townsend smiled. "Congratulations! You're the first group!"

Dane nearly fainted, and only Isla grasping him by the back of the shirt kept him from hitting the stone floor. Rania and Lena slid slowly to the stone ground leaning back-to-back for support. Tristan was grasping the railing and Ben was splattered on the stone steps.

"What a horrible, horrible way to test us!" Ben half smiled and half winced as he took in a few painful breaths.

"I'm parched! Could we get something to drink soon?" Dane grinned crookedly at the Headmistress while trying to relinquish Isla's grip on his shirt.

It was long after dusk when the last of the groups were ushered in; some professors had had to go and round a few groups up. Some of the groups hadn't even made it half-way while others had gone the wrong way all together. Set up out beyond the greenhouse, near the waterfall and lake was a barbeque for the first years held by the heads of the houses as well as their Executive members, each of them students in a certain house. Dawson laughed outrageously at something one of the senior boys said to her and rested her hand on his forearm, smiling cutely at him. Lena eyed the girl with distaste as she sipped on some hot chocolate.

"She's money and she knows it."

Lena turned and stared into dark blue eyes. The young man beside her had a half-grin on as he observed Dawson, and then turned to look at Lena again with those startling eyes. "I'm Nathan." He held out his hand and Lena shook it with a smile.

"Lena." She smiled and then sipped her hot chocolate again, taking in his appearance. He was fairly tall, about 5'11" with black wavy hair that covered his ears slightly and was a bit shaggy all over. His shirt was a medium blue with a lightning bolt across the chest and he wore light khaki cargo shorts and a pair of loosely tied white and blue skater shoes. "Are you a first year?"

Nathan smiled and sipped his drink, "Nope. Second year, Lightning House. Best house I'd say." He replied with a wink, pointing to his chest, indicating the lightning bolt. "Don't let the rumors ruin lightning's reputation, we're a great house."

Lena grinned. "Well, I haven't heard much of anything because I don't know much about this school." She smiled some more and then sipped on her hot chocolate.

"Well, we'll fix that then. Come with me." He took hold of her elbow and pulled her along with him. "First off, the Dawson's are money, and most of them are bigheaded and full of it. So just ignore them, they aren't worth your time." He gave her a wink. "Besides, they're always in Water House for some reason, and you won't be there, I assure you."

Lena wondered how he cold be so sure, but in any case she let him take her from group to group introducing her to Executive's of other Houses'. She learned that Nathan was Social Chair for Lightning House, as well as that he had won his division of the end of year Tournament, though Lightning House had lost overall. A sharp whistle caught everyone's attention in the dusk of the evening, and they all gathered around the Headmistress to listen.

"First years will proceed with me to the gymnasium for their House Sorting. Executives are encouraged to go to their houses to prepare for their first years. After they are finished preparing, they are to head to the gymnasium …._quietly_." She stressed. "Off with you! First years follow me." She set off at a brisk pace towards the main building; Nathan waved and winked at Lena and went off towards what she assumed was Lightning House, to the back right of the main building.

"Do you think it's going to be hard, Lena?" Someone asked from just behind her. Lena turned and saw the big worried eyes of Dane.

"It can't be anything you won't be able to handle." She gave him a wink as he made pace with her and they walked side-by-side into the gymnasium. The first years huddled at the back of the large room, staring at the rows upon rows of laptop computers set upon desks in long rows.

"Take a seat!" Elva Townsend called from the front of the gym. There was a scrambling of first years for the closest computers, and it was several minutes before everyone was settled in and silent. Ben waved to Lena from several rows over and she waved back, though discreetly.

"On your screen," The Headmistress began, and as she did the screens all simultaneously lit up, "Is your house sorting test. It will test your personality, your beliefs, likes and dislikes. All of these questions are to assure that you adjust properly to your new house. You have as much time as you like, make sure to answer each one as best and truthfully as you can. You may begin."

Lena put her finger gently upon the motion pad of the laptop and began her test. She found the questions odd; a lot of them tested morals and general beliefs, and some were as easy as picking your favorite color from the wheel in front of you. Before long she had completed her last question and sat back from her console, stretching her back and arms. She peered around tiredly; Ben had fallen asleep at his desk. She looked for others she knew and could only find Dane; he was finishing up the last of his questions. A few minutes later the Headmistress was notified by a teacher that all of the students had completed the test. She nodded with a smile, and all of the first years turned to look at her.

"Momentarily the sorting will be printed from the main computer and role call will be done house by house. Once your house is called, you will proceed to your new home with your house representative." She motioned to the side of the hall and Lena glanced briefly; Nathan and three others were leaned against the wall looking antsy.

An older man entered the gymnasium and proceeded to the front, standing next to the Headmistress. In his hands he held several sheets of paper. "I will now call out the house assignments; Those of Fire House are as follows," The man took several minutes to call the names of the first years of fire house; Dane and Isla were both called. They filed to the back of the Hall, and then were led out by a taller girl with brown curly hair and a black t-shirt emblazoned with a red, orange and yellow flame. Lena counted 20 in total.

"Water House is as follows," The man began again, listing off another 16 names, Dawson's included as well as her entire group of boys that she had on the hike. "Lightning House is as follows: Milena Laighin!"

Lena jumped slightly in her seat; she hadn't paying much attention at all, as per usual she had been drifting in and out of a daze. She got up from her seat and walked to the back of the gym followed by several others. She met up with Nathan and smiled sheepishly. "I'm going to have to start paying attention."

Nathan chuckled and stood next to her, examining all of the first years that joined them. "You nearly jumped out of your skin." He leaned in to her ear and whispered, "Told you didn't I? You wouldn't be in Water House."

Lena smiled, "Yes, you did." Lena grinned even more when Ben and Rania joined her moments later finishing off the last of Lighting first years. In total they made 19 Frosh; 10 girls and 9 boys. The rest of the first years not called were for Grass House, and they began to file towards the back of the gym.

"LET'S GO, LIGHTNING!" Nathan called out loudly, motioning for his group to follow him.

-Gin

Read and Review, please! .


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

It was dark as the group walked down the stairs towards the main path that led to the Houses; the first years spoke amongst themselves in low whispers, excitement building as they approached their Houses. Nathan led them down the dimly lit path to the back of the school and then down a path angling to the right. Ahead of them a large house stood in a clearing not too deep in the woods, barely visible except for the lights. The building was the grey stone like that of the main building, and looked as if its roof was made of slate, though Lena was sure it wasn't. The House was mostly rectangular, with smaller rectangular shapes on the sides and back slightly, almost like wings; Lena guessed that they must be where the stairs were. Large gabled windows were wrought into the stone at regular intervals, the lights were on in several, but many were dark, and they extended four floors high. The whispers began to die down as they approached the large wooden door; Lena noticed a plaque to the right of the door with the words, 'Lightning House, Founded in Memoriam of Arthur Barnes'.

Nathan inserted his key into the lock and opened the door, holding it for the first years. "Your keys are your life; without them you cannot get into the house or into your rooms. Do not lose them, and don't ever give them to anyone else for safe keeping; you are responsible for them if they are lost. It's a large fine if you lose them."

The first years filed past in a large cluster and stopped as they entered the main lobby. Lena looked around in awe at the lobby, taking in the large, lighted chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the grand stair case leading up to the second level, and beyond, of the house, hallways on either side of the landing. The floor was a dark, polished wood; tapestries and paintings hung on the walls to either side of her. Towards the back and under the staircase there were two hallways leading to what Lena guessed were dormitories. There were also two large doors, one on her right and one on the left. The one to the right was ajar.

Nathan closed the main door behind himself. "Always make sure the doors leading outside are closed; other houses won't hesitate in coming in to trash rooms if given the chance. Come with me." He walked towards the door which was ajar and the first years obediently followed. The room was large and long, filled with black leather sofas, ottomans and chairs. A large fireplace stood empty at the far end, chairs huddled around it. The floor was the same polished dark wood as the lobby, but was covered in rugs. There were several windows with window seats in them, except the window on the same wall as the main entrance; it had a large sofa placed against it and on it sat three figures. Nathan went to join them, perching on the arm next to an older looking boy with very blonde hair.

The boy with blonde hair grinned as Nathan whispered something to him, nodded and then turned to look at the first years. "Welcome to Lightning House, have a seat." He motioned to the chairs and sofas closest to him and his group. The first years piled into the chairs and sofas, sitting quietly.

"My name is Fallon Duke; chances are I won't answer to Fallon because everyone just calls me Duke, so you might as well just remember me as that. I'm President of the House; it's my fourth year here, second year on the Executive. I was vice-president last year. I'd like to congratulate you all on getting into the best friggin' house on campus! Not only is our house the most widely well-respected,"

"With the worst reputation." Nathan mumbled with a grin, crossing his arms over his lean chest.

"The worst _fake_ reputation," Duke stressed, "we're also the richest house on campus. The people who graduate out of PLAE and who have lived in this house are very generous to us. They want us to carry out the House and its traditions. We owe everything we have to them, so if Alumni come to visit, you show them the utmost of respect. That goes for your seniors as well. If we ask you to do something, just do it; we've all done it before as well. I'm going to turn you over to Alden now." Duke nodded towards the boy next to him, giving him his attention.

A slightly shorter boy sat up; his hair was a dark auburn, pin straight and short; black rimmed glasses were perched on his face. "I'm Alden Terry; I'm Treasurer, and all I have to say is; Pay your damn House fees, I do not want to hunt you down! And believe me; you don't want to have me hunting you down. If we have any house events that require money, you pay me and only me. That's all. Over to your Vice President."

The boy perched on the end of the sofa faced the group and smiled. "I'm Ross Phaedrus, just call me Phae, or whatever. Generally I answer to anything. Umm, I don't really do much on the Exec, mostly just help make decisions and do the Presidents work if he can't be around." Phae laughed a little. He was a very tall, well-built boy; far over 6 feet. His hair was black and short, kept under a baseball hat which shadowed his brown eyes. "If you have any problems or concerns you can just come and see me. Over to…Nathan I believe."

"Alright, I'm Nathan Stewart, I'm your Social Chair for the house. I basically organize all of the fun stuff we do as a house or in conjunction with other houses. And now…….we are going to play a game! It's called, 'Get to know your fellow Frosh', because these are the people who are going to be going through the same thing as you. Now, considering I only know one of you, Lena, you'll start."

Lena groaned; she hated public speaking, she always looked like a fool. Ben poked Lena in the side to hurry her up; she grimaced slightly as she moved to the front of the room next to Nathan. She turned and faced the group. "I'm Milena Laighin, I'm from Ecruteak City. I don't know what else you want me to tell. I'm pretty boring I suppose. I don't know anyone here really; I met Ben on the train and Rania was in my group."

"Any…special talents? Anything you like to do? Anything unusual?" Nathan prodded with a grin.

"I _hate_ talking in front of groups." Lena gave Nathan a look and most of the group chuckled. "I've lived on my own since I was 15. I'm horrible with numbers, and my mouth tends to work a lot faster than my brain." Lena paused to think, scratching her head. "I love swimming, but I don't get to do it that often. I tend to burn anything that I cook. Oh, and I ramble when I get up and talk in front of groups because I don't know what to do with myself. I love ice cream and apples, but I hate seafood and milk."

Once the executive had deemed her ramblings good enough they moved on to Ben, and then several others that Lena tried to place a name to the face. It was well over two hours later that they had gone through all of their frosh. The laughter was interrupted by a timid knock on the door; all heads swung to see an older girl poised in the doorway with a box.

"I've got the keys!" She exclaimed as she walked into the room and placed them on the end table next to Nathan. "Phae, do you want to run to my apartments and grab the other box, please?" the mid-height girl tossed her keys to Phae, who caught them deftly and exited the room in a moment.

"Since these guys won't introduce me, I will. Niamh Chisholm. Your Proctor; basically I'm the _adult _of the House. I make sure these fools," and she indicated to the boys beside her, "don't get too carried away." She smiled widely as she pulled papers off the top of the box. "My apartment is the door just across from this one; it's the one you see to the right when you walk in the main door. If you ever need me, and you can come to me for anything, I'm usually there. If not, just leave me a note and I'll come find you."

Phae entered the room with a good sized box; he placed it next to Niamh and opened the top to the first. Niamh looked at her list and brushed a stray strand of chocolate brown hair that had escaped her pony tail away from hazel eyes. "Now, your room assignments are based on your test results. If you happen to have a problem with your roommate, we can always try to get an exchange between all of you. Boys first I think." Niamh called off the room assignments, handing out sets of keys as she went, while Phae handed out T-shirts; the same as what Nathan and the rest of the Exec had been sporting. Ben was assigned to room with a boy named Saird LaRoque, and was one of the first off to his room. Minutes later Lena's name was called and she got up from her spot on the couch to get her keys from Niamh. Her roommate was a girl named Quinn MacKenzie, a girl she had gotten a good impression of from her introduction. The pairs' keys jingled as they walked up the grand staircase to the second floor and the right wing which they shared with all the first years. She heard Rania laughing as she passed by room 209 B, and Ben's loud voice from across the hall in 210 A.

Quinn threw her t-shirt over her shoulder and peered at her key. Mine says 211 B," she paused and then turned to the left and stopped. "Found it!" she said cheerily, her very curly coppery red hair bouncing as she put the key in the lock and opened. Lena peered to the right of Quinn's door and noticed another marked, 211 A. She inserted the key and entered.

Immediately to her right as she entered was a small alcove where she could put her shoes; a bar with hangers hung above where she could place her coats. To her left was another door, and when she opened it she found a bathroom which lead to Quinn's room through another door. Quinn followed her into her room, possibly hoping for something more exciting.

"Aren't these little window seats cute?" She said as she plopped down onto the black cushioned seat that was directly opposite the door.

Lena nodded and smiled. The room was slightly T shaped; the bed being against the wall on the left with the headboard facing the bathroom. To the right against the alcove wall was a large armoire for her clothes with two large drawers on the bottom and a set of doors at the top; desk and chair next to that. Between the left of the window and against the wall shared by Quinn was an L-shaped shelf with plenty of space for ornaments, pictures and books.

Quinn hopped up from the window seat and made her way back to the bathroom door, "I'm going to unpack, and I'll see you in the morning for breakfast?"

"Yeah, sure." Breakfast. She hadn't even listened to where they went to eat in this place. Good thing her roommate did. "Night, Quinn."

"Night, Lena!" She closed the door behind bouncy copper curls.

Lena was just finishing up unpacking and placing her clothes in the armoire, ripping off all the price tags as she went, when there was a knock on her door. Getting up from her kneeling position, she made her way to the door and opened it. A half-sheet of white paper attacked her face, taping itself to her forehead. Someone chuckled from the doorway, and Lena pulled the paper off of her forehead.

"Sorry," Nathan said, trying not to laugh, "I thought that was the wall. My bad." He held his hands up in defence.

Lena nodded her head, raising her eyebrows mockingly. "Mhmm. What is this?" She handed the paper back to him, and Nathan attached it to the wall to the right of her door.

"Just your name." Nathan replied with a smile. "Just easier to get to know people this way. Breakfast is at 10 tomorrow morning, we're all meeting in the main lobby, wear your frosh shirt and don't be late!" He warned, moving on down the hall taping papers with names to the walls, whistling to himself.

Lena closed the door behind her and finished unpacking her clothes and the few pictures and ornaments she had with her. Unpacking her bedding she made-up her bed and got ready for sleep, setting her alarm. She pulled the green and blue patterned duvet up over her; it was well after midnight before she fell to sleep.

Lena awoke to the buzzing of her alarm; groaning she hit the off button and pushed the blankets off of her. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she stretched and then sat for a moment in a groggy state. Shaking her head slightly she got to her feet and shuffled over to her armoire, pulling her toiletries out of the top drawer along with towels. Yawning she made her way to the bathroom, starting up the water and undressing to get showered.

Forty minutes later Lena was fully-clothed in a new pair of skinny jeans the lady had insisted she buy at the jean shop and her Frosh shirt. She brushed dry hair away from her face as she pulled on a pair of flats in bright red. Quinn skipped into the room, her curls contained to a ponytail, though a few were rebelling. "Ready?"

"You're awfully perky in the mornings." Lena remarked as she grabbed her keys and put them in her jeans pocket.

"I tend to be." Quinn answered as she closed the door behind them. "Mornings are the most beautiful time of the day! Don't you like mornings?"

Lena grinned. "I'm not a big fan; my brain generally doesn't switch on until at least 11:00. So if I'm unresponsive, that's why." They met up with most of the group in the lobby, waiting for a few stragglers.

Rania walked beside Lena and Quinn, leaning on Lena. It appeared that Rania was even less of a morning person than Lena. The gravel crunched under their feet as they made their way to the main building, the crunching changing to scuffing as they climbed the stone steps to the main doors. The dining hall was just inside the main doors to the left. Entering the room, the girls were directed to Lightning's table; the furthest to the right of the five.

"We always sit with our house, never at another table. The one next to ours in Grass, Water is next and then Fire. The last is the teachers' table." Phae explained, pointing to each in turn. "The food is all down to the back of the hall; cereal, bagels and toast are off to the right, salad bar next to that on the left; the salad bar is only offered at lunch and dinner. Hot breakfast is served from one of the three stations over towards the middle; drinks, utensils and trays are the farthest to the left you can go."

Lena sat down to breakfast, chatting with her other first year housemates, trying to place names to faces and remember who lived where and with who…she was having a hard time with it, but she'd get them by the end of the day. What would happen when the rest of the seniors arrived on Monday? She'd never remember all the names; there were roughly one-hundred people in the house!

-Read and Review please! Not the most exciting of chappies, but necessary none-the-less. Next chapter will get more interesting, but before that I'm going to be posting persona info of the thus far introduced characters, for future reference and so not everything will have to be explained .


	5. Chapter 5

Name: Milena Laighin

Age: 17

Sex: female

Birthday: December 31

Appearance:__Lena stands at roughly 5'3", with a curvy 17 year-old frame weighing about 118 pounds. Her face is oval shaped framed by highlighted-dark blonde hair that reaches just below her shoulder blades, the ends curling slightly; her grey eyes are shaded by side-bangs. She has a few freckles spaced sporadically all over her body which has a very light tanned color that is natural to her. Lena's nose is of average size, not too big and is one of those parts of her body that is slightly freckled, though they are hardly noticeable. Since Lena has come to school and when she isn't attired in her school uniform, she tends to wear sneakers or flats with jeans and a nice top, something usually layered over other things. She isn't big on jewelry and only occasionally wears a necklace.

Personality: Lena tends to sit back and observe more that she talks, especially in large groups. If she feels she has something to contribute she will speak up, but rarely does she ever just talk for the fun of it. She was that student who would sit quietly and do her work without bothering to get in on the conversations going on around her; she respects her superiors. But that isn't to say that Lena can't talk; she can talk, and she could talk your ear off if she so chose to. Once she gets to know people she can become quite the chatterbox. While Lena is good at following orders, she's also good at giving them, though she has never been given the chance to be a leader; she has the ability to be a good one. People tend to trust and respect Lena, even if she isn't trying to earn respect or trust; it is just naturally given to her. She's a good friend to have around, as she stands up for what she believes in and wouldn't falter in standing up for a good friend even if it meant getting herself in trouble. She despises liars and those can not sympathize or empathize with others; basically people who wouldn't want to be treated the way they treat others. She practically preaches fairness and equality among everyone. She tends to anger easily, but as soon as it has reared its ugly head Lena usually has it well under control and in check. She tends to internalize a lot of her feelings, which is an unhealthy thing to do and she knows this but continues to do so because she has always done this.

Hometown: Ekruteak City

House: Lightning

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Tristin Merrit

Age: 18

Sex: male

Birthday: July 7

Appearance: A good six feet in height and quite lanky, Tristin always appears like he needs a good meal. He's shot up in height over the last two years but has yet to fill out and feels that maybe he just might not fill out and be lanky forever. His hair is fairly short, wavy and dark brown. He hates how it curls when it gets longer so he keeps it fairly short, about 2 inches or so in length. His eyes a light green, almost so light as to look blue, but on closer inspection they are green with flecks of blue. His nose is a bit long, but straight even though he was an accident prone child who always ran into everything and caught himself when he fell with his face. His skin is a creamy white with a fair few freckles across his shoulders and a few on his nose. When he isn't in his uniform he's always wearing dark blue jeans that hide his skinny self and a plain t-shirt of blue, green or white with a zippered or pull over sweater.

Personality: Quiet and reserved, Tristin doesn't say much, but when he does it's usually worth listening to. He'll only speak up if he's involved or if it benefits him in some way. He isn't selfish, but he's not one to speak up for others unless they desperately need it. He's not against working in teams or groups, but he does find it bothersome and would work alone given the choice. Tristin carries a sense of mystery with him, something that seems to intrigue others, especially girls. Yes, the poor boy is blessed with girls fawning over him. He can't understand why; he's just an average guy and isn't anything much to look at. It's Tristin's odd mysteriousness that gets the girls; his quiet looks and ways that make them think there's more to him than the see. But really, there isn't too much. He's bluntly honest when asked opinions; he's not afraid to say something even if it will hurt that person. He's just a guy who keeps to himself and only comes out of his shell if there's something or someone he's after.

Hometown: Cherrygrove City

House: Grass

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Dane Winthrop

Age: 16

Sex: male

Birthday: January 3rd

Appearance: Dane is tiny; he's just recently hit the five-foot mark and still got a bit of baby fat on him. He's got the build of a 12 year old, even though he's 16 going on 17 in roughly four months; he's positive he's going to shoot up one day. His build is fairly athletic for a little guy; he loves hockey, soccer and track and he's very good at all three, though his build and height can be disadvantages at times. Dane is tiny, but fairly muscled with a bit of bay fat here and there. His hair is very dark, almost black and so curly as to be plain unruly at times. Nothing he does will tame it; it always has that 'just out of bed' look. It doesn't help that everyone ruffles his hair, which he hates. His eyes are big and blue and probably the most expressive eyes you'll ever see. You can gauge his emotions with them just by glancing at them. His skin is lightly tanned, with a cute amount of freckles.

Personality: Dane's the type of cute that you just want to hug all the time; and does he ever hate it. He's sweet tempered though sometimes childish in his actions, which he can get away with. People tend to treat him as a little kid, so he figures he might as well go with it for as long as he can. He's utterly a dumpster for knowledge and bits and pieces of information; he could remember what time it was when you last spoke, what you were wearing and what was going on around you at the time, not to mention the entire conversation word for word. He's got photographic as well as auditory learning abilities which help him retain everything he learns. He tends to do things for others, simple things that make people feel good, without even thinking of it. If he hears something you might like, he'll remember it and tell you later or even if he sees something he'll get it for you. Dane can be quite impudent at times, but he tends to be sweet more often than not. He's usually only impudent when he knows he's right or is trying to get attention for some reason; being small he tends to blend in with a crowd when he so desperately wants to stand out. Dane dresses well; he always looks very nice even if he's only in a pair of jeans with a nice shirt and sweater over it. The only thing that tends to ruin his nice appearance is that he tends to get a bit messy and gets absolutely everything all over himself.

Hometown: Viridian City

House: Fire

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Rania Khalek (Rawn-Ya Kay-lick)

Age:18

Sex: female

Birthday: August 22

Appearance: Roughly five-foot-five and quite voluptuous; Rania is very curvy and hates everything about her body, which is beautiful to everyone else but far too big for her liking. Nothing on it is overtly large or unmanageable, she is simply beautiful. Her skin is the color of coffee with a bit of cream in it and almost always completely flawless. Her head is oval shaped, with defined cheek bones and intense brown eyes that capture attention even if Rania doesn't want it. Her hair is raven black, falling under her shoulder blades in wavy tendrils. You'll rarely ever see Rania in jeans; she might own a single pair of them. She's a big fan of skirts, though not short ones. She likes the kind that flow nicely and end roughly at her mid-calve. She loves to wear flats, and if not them a nice pair of flat boots that hug her legs.

Personality: Sometimes a bit too loud, Rania leaves nothing unsaid. Sometimes she may wish she had not said some things, but more often than not she feels better to have everything out in the open. If she doesn't like a person they'll know it and know why. She's brutally blunt and an advocate for girls being treated like Princesses; girls should be treated with the utmost respect by boys and any mistreatment is begging for a tongue lashing from her. Sometimes she can be too interfering; part of you wished she had minded her own business and part of you is glad she didn't. She's a great person to have as a friend and is loyal to the bitter end; she'd go down with you even if she had a chance to bail.

Hometown: Goldenrod City

House: Lightning

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Isla Kemp

Age: 16

Sex: female

Birthday: March 2nd

Appearance: Nicknamed "Amazon" by many, Isla is of course very tall; 5'11 to be exact. Her figure is very leanly athletically built. She has extremely intense metabolism and has a hard time keeping her appetite sated. Her skin is very pale and freckled here and there. Her hair is a fiery red and wavy to the point that Isla has to take extreme measures to control it. Isla's eyes are a very dark blue with flecks of darker green throughout; they're set in a very strong looking face structure with prominent cheekbones and plump lips. Isla always looks like she's off in a daze; she never seems to be paying attention to anything in particular; her height and her daydreaming make her a hard person to approach; so many people find her intimidating. Isla loves tall boots, jeans, beads and button down shirts layered with almost always two other shirts; she has an odd sense of style, but she can easily pull it off. She had to have her uniforms altered to fit her tall and skinny frame.

Personality: Another person who's very blunt, but almost to the point of being rude. Because she was made fun of so much she's not big on making friends easily; she tends to push people away and only those that come back time and again like a boomerang make her list. You have to be able to take her criticizing manner without offense; Isla just has no shame and isn't afraid of anything but creatures bigger than her; creatures not including boys. She's taken on a few of them and sent them away whimpering. She'll say anything at all without embarrassment, and tends to ramble if she has to talk in front of groups; she'll say anything. She's also very hot-tempered; another reason to not offend her.

Hometown: Cerulean City

House: Fire

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Ben Catarel

Age: 18

Sex: male

Birthday: April 19th

Appearance: Reminiscent of a Greek god, Ben is simply a very pretty boy. His hair is platinum blonde and falls in loose curls over his ears. His skin is naturally tanned and free of blemishes and freckles; his nose is long and straight, Romanesque in appearance. His eyes are a bright aqua and always shining with amusement of some sort, while his teeth are very straight and white and noticeable because he's usually grinning about something. He isn't overtly tall; in fact, Isla is taller than him. Ben stands at 5'8" and has a lean muscular build from years of swimming and gymnastics. Ben is always dressed well, his jeans are never baggy and neither are his shirts. He doesn't wear hats because they give him 'hat hair' and flatten his curls.

Personality: Quite bubbly, Ben assumes that everything is always going good and if it isn't, it's sure to be good soon enough. In short, he is highly optimistic. He sees the best of everything and the best in everyone. He trusts people almost immediately and has a generally carefree nature. Not much fazes him and he tends to not know what's going on around him because he's always off in a daze of some sort. He can be sarcastic at times when he chooses to come out of his daydreaming. He's a loyal friend and can always cheer you up at the worst times.

Hometown: Blackthorn City

House: Lightning

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Quinn MacKenzie

Age: 16

Sex: female

Birthday: October 26th

Appearance: An average 5'4" tall with a relatively boyish figure. Quinn is very athletic, and as such, has a very fit and toned body. Her hips are fairly narrow, and she doesn't have an overtly large chest, but her very cute face makes up for her lack of a feminine figure. Her heart shaped head is framed by shoulder-blade length, very curly coppery-red hair that tends to be very unruly and stubborn at times. You will rarely ever see Quinn wearing it down, as it takes just far too much work to keep it from turning into an afro. Her eyes are hazel and almond shaped, while her nose is fairly small and pointed, with small rosy pink lips.

Personality: Very energetic, bubbly and bouncy. Quinn is always on the go and is always in a good mood; she and Ben should get along splendidly. Nothing ever seems to get her down; everything bad just seems to roll off of her and away. Her carefree nature sometimes isn't always the best to apply to some situations, but things always seem to work out for her. Quinn's not the type of person to go to about any of your problems; chances are she hasn't encountered them; or if she has, she didn't deal with them in a way that would work for you. She also tends to not take things seriously, as she is far too optimistic for that. She's a very fun friend to have; everything you do will be amazing, but as far as a person to confide in, she is neither willing to listen to you complain or is not any good at giving advice. She tends to be a bit gullible, as she's very trusting. She'll believe even some of the most ludicrous stories.

Hometown: Dewford Town

House: Lightning

Pokemon: n/a

* * *

Name: Nathan

Age: 17

Sex: male

Birthday: November 8th

Appearance: Fairly tall, almost six feet at 5'11". Nathan is lean, though not too lanky in appearance. His body is leanly muscled from training with his pokemon as well as running track and years of swimming. His skin has a natural tan that offsets his jet-black wavy hair, which he will grow so the curls cover the tops of his ears. His face is square shaped, though softened by curved edges and not at all babyish; it is often covered in soft stubble that appears sporadically over it. His eyes are a deep midnight blue, the kind that you can get lost in if you look long enough, and are usually very animated as it is rare you'll ever see him in a bad mood. When not in his uniform, Nathan is more often than not sporting some sort of house clothes; t-shirts, toque, scrub pants, sweaters, etc. He's very proud to be in Lightning house, and it shows.

Personality: Outgoing and not in the least shy, Nathan is the most friendly of the Exec. Boys, and is very well suited to the Social Chair position. He knows everyone in the house and likely knows a lot about each individual. He gets along well with everyone and is extremely friendly. Past girlfriends have gotten jealous because of how many friends he's had that were girls, and thus the relationship failed, so it is unlikely that you'll ever see him with a girlfriend for long. He tends to take on a lot more responsibility than he should, and at times he can be very stressed, but he just shrugs it off and continues with his life. He's fairly lax about his schooling, though he does do well. He is one of those people who absorbs everything easily and as such spends little time studying for anything. Nathan sometimes doesn't think before he acts, and this could get him in trouble if he wasn't such a charmer and good with words. He lives for his House, and would do anything to continue the traditions within it.

Hometown: Valencia Island in the Orange Islands.

House: Lightning

Pokemon: Jolteon, Treecko, Sneasle

There we go! Hopefully not too much longer until the next chapter! So long as school stays out of the way...


	6. Chapter 6

_**Pokemon League Academy of Excellence house sorting test!**_

Here it is! A much shorter, but still effective, house sorting test for PLAE! If you were wondering which house you'd be in, this'll tell ya! Good luck ;)

**1. The infamous color question, with a twist! Pick your favorite grouping of colors:**

a) Gold, orange, purple and red.

b) Grey, black, turquoise, pink, green, dark blue and white.

c) Blue, lavender, green, red, violet, black, white and grey.

d) Bright blue, yellow, bright green, light blue, light green.

**2. If someone said something that made you mad, how long would it take for you to 'cool' down?**

a) I'd be really angry…after thinking about what had been said first. But I'd be calm after holding a grudge for about a half hour.

b) I'd be extremely angry immediately and for a very long time! Days even, depending on the circumstance. I might even hold a grudge for a long time even after the anger subsides.

c) I'd be immediately angry if my friends were angry, and be angry for a long time afterwards. Depending on the person, I may hold a grudge that will never go away.

d) I wouldn't be that angry. What does it really matter what other people say? I'll just let things go and not cause any trouble.

**3. Your parents decide you're moving to the other side of the country! How do you deal?**

a) That's not fair! What about ME! You don't love me! That's why you're taking me away from all my friends!

b) Well, if it's what's best for the family. I'll miss my friends here, but I'm sure I'll be able to make some really cool ones there too!

c) I don't want to move! We've always lived here and I want to stay! I'll never be able to make new friends; they won't be like my friends here! I'm moving in with (insert best friends' name)!

d) We're moving? That's pretty cool! I suppose it'll be hard to leave my few friends here, but in time I'll make some there. What's it like where we're moving? What school will I go to?

**4. Do you have a lot of friends, and do you make friends easily?**

a) I don't have a lot of friends, and I can sometimes have a hard time making them. But the friends I do have are genuine.

b) I make friends easily! I have a wide arrange of really cool and unique friends! We're not very close, but we're still good friends.

c) I have some okay friends; we have fun when we hang out. But I don't really have any best friends that I could confide in. And we're really competitive! I can make friends in seconds, but best friends, not so easily.

d) I make new friends every day! We may not know everything about each other, but we still hang out and have fun. I have all kinds of friends!

**5. Are you very sociable and outgoing?**

a) Very much so! I spend a third of my day talking to friends, hanging out and generally being around people. I like to try new things, even if I know I'll be bad at them. Every day is an adventure; you should never let a new experience pass you by!

b) If you call challenging everyone to games of skill and in just about everything else being sociable and outgoing, then sure.

c) I much prefer to spend my time doing something productive. I'm sociable to a point, but not overtly. If it doesn't look like I'd be good at it, I won't try it.

d) I'm sociable if someone asks me to be, I never just wander around just to talk to random people. And I'll do something if someone else asks me to and knows from experience that it's fun!

**6. One of your friends is being picked on by someone else that you know from one of your classes. Do you help them, try to mediate, or leave it be?**

a) I'd probably just let them duke it out; it's bound to only continue later if you don't. Besides, they aren't my best friend.

b) GASP! HEY! LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!

c) I'll defend them…..only if it looks like someone else is going to try and defend them too. Otherwise, I'll just leave them to handle it themselves.

d) You're torn. You don't want your classmate to be embarrassed, and you don't want your friend to get picked on……….Hey, guys! Can't we work this out without fighting? Let's make a compromise, shake hands and be happy, kay?

**7. How long does it take you to make an important decision?**

a) I make my decisions in 0.2 seconds!

b) I tend to list the pros and cons, and take quite awhile. I don't like to commit myself to anything right away.

c) I think about it……for about a minute. And then I go with whatever's good for me right now!

d) I don't like to make my decisions by myself; I usually consult my family or friends before I do anything.

**8. Are you book smart, naturally smart, kind of a goof, or common sense smart?**

a) I'm generally pretty goofy, and I don't mind. I think I know a lot more than I do, so I tend not to study much. But I still do alright.

b) I'm book smart! I can tell you everything in a book front to back or back to front! But if you ask me how to apply it in a different way then what I've read, I'll have a hard time doing it. When I'm asked to think outside the box, it really affects my marks in a bad way.

c) I'm generally pretty common sense smart. I mean, I know a lot of random things because I tend to only store what I find interesting. I have a hard time studying, but my common sense gets me through with good marks.

d) I'm naturally smart! My brain just tends to store everything I hear, and I've got a quite a bit of common sense. But if I don't like a certain class or topic, my brain wanders elsewhere and I don't store any of the info and then I have to study, which I really hate doing. So, sometimes I'm a goof!

**9. You have one piece of gum left! Someone asks if you have any for them, what do you do?**

a) I tell them I don't have any gum and eat it later when they can't see me. WHAT? It's my gum! I paid for it!

b) I tell them I only have one piece, and that I'm saving it for later. I'd give them a piece if I had more than one left.

c) I'd give it to them. It's only a piece of gum.

d) I'd share it! I'll take a bite and you can have the rest!

**10. You lost a battle! What do you do?**

a) That's totally not how it was supposed to happen! I should have won that! REMATCH!

b) Oh, wow! You're really good! You'd shake their hands and tell them you hope for a rematch later!

c) How did this happen? Oh, I messed up there. I see. Well! I'll just try harder next time, no hard feelings!

d) I….lost…..cries a little bit on the inside. I'll never forgive you! I'll get you next time! leaves immediately.

Now……email me a list numbered from 1 to 10 and the letter answer beside each number! And I'll email you back your results!


	7. Chapter 7

With a great heave, and one of many previous, Dane managed to haul his trunk up two more stairs to get to his third floor bedroom in Fire House. Muttering obscene words under his breath, the curl topped sixteen year old prepared for another haul up the stairs. What had his mother packed in here that he didn't know about? Fire house was different than what he had expected. They seemed to be pretty full of themselves…..well, their president did. Not that it would mean everyone else in the house would be. Still, they all seemed competitive and strong willed…

"Want some help?" Isla asked, leaning on the second floor banister several steps up; her black Fire House shirt proudly displayed with a few alterations so it fit her snugly, the gold, orange and red flame standing out brightly on the dark background.

"_NO!_" Dane replied hotly as he hauled it up another step. "I can do it myself!"

Isla rolled her eyes and looked at her nails. "Suit yourself." She replied in irritation. "I was just tired of hearing all your grunting from down the hall, is all."

Dane shot her a glare. "You _cannot_!" Dean blew some hair from his eyes and muttered "Bloody hell."

Isla picked at her nails for a few more minutes and then rolled her eyes. "Look, kiddo. I'm just trying to help. Don't you want to get settled in before midnight?" Isla stepped down to Danes' level and grabbed the trunk lifting it up the steps to the second landing and then working on the third level before Dane had even moved from his spot.

Scowling, Dane followed her. "I can do it myself, really."

"There." Isla dropped the trunk on the third landing. "Was that so hard?"

Dane pursed his lips. "I….have two more."

Isla's triumphant smirk faded. "Are you _kidding_ me?!"

* * *

Nerds. That was Tristan's first thought as he looked at the group of Frosh he had been placed with. Nerds, Nerds, Nerds, Nerds, Nerds! How could he possibly be stuck with such a huge group of utter Nerds? He, himself, was a self-proclaimed anti-nerd. They were all preppy dressed, flood pants among some of them. Tristan stuck out like a sore thumb in the group, with his casual dress and obvious dislike of the group.

His worries were relieved a little when he met their president, a _very _good looking girl who dressed casually like himself and was outgoing and talkative. Not that Tristan was overly talkative, but it was nice to know he wasn't the only alien.

He managed to get himself paired with a roommate who was the most unusual kid he'd ever had the privilege of laying eyes on. James Malov was tall, lanky, and one of the fashion disasters that sported too-short pants. Whether it was because he was oblivious to the breeze around his ankles or they were in style where he lived, Tristan knew that it was wrong, so very wrong. And he didn't even care about fashion or looking all that great anyway! He had decided that the bathroom joining their rooms would always remain locked on his end. If being with these people all the time didn't kill him, seclusion would. He'd lock himself away rather than hang out with majority of these kids.

His last thought as he shut his door almost rudely in his roommates' chatter-box face, was: Fantastic.

* * *

Phae took the Lightning House frosh on a tour of the grounds after breakfast. He showed them where all of their classes would be held in the main building and then the gymnasium, the pool, the library and the study rooms as well as the battle rooms. The battle rooms were for technique classes and were not available until the second semester of the three in a year at the school. There were five in total, four of which were indoors and the fifth open to the sky. They were at the north end of the main building connected through the main hallway. The four battle arenas surrounded the one open aired battle ground. The first was a plain grassy field; the second was full of rocks, both large and small; the third was a water field with several floating islands that moved; the fourth was a basic gym with a rubber floor. The fifth one in the center was a mixture of dirt and grassy patches left to the elements.

He introduced them to the secretaries on the first floor, and he was an obvious favourite of the ladies, judging by the way they teased him.

"Corrupting another group of first years?" One lady asked with a smirk on her face.

Phae feigned shock, "Of course not. We don't corrupt; only gently guide them in the proper direction." He finished with a wide grin. The secretaries chuckled and shooed him out of the office with the first years in tow.

After the tour of the main buildings he led them down the main road to the school. They walked for about 10 minutes before he led them down a smaller road, to the right and east of the school. After a few minutes a small building came into view; it was made of the same material of the school, grey stone with ivy growing wildly in spots, with a slate-like roof. It was one storey high, but long, with what looked like a greenhouse attached to the end on the right. On either side of the building a fence began and went for some distance along, and sometimes into, the surrounding woods. As Lena peered into the visible parts of the field, trees and rocks often obscuring her view, she saw a group of Rattata participating in a group grooming session, while some of their group napped in the warm autumn air.

"This will likely be the highlight of your day." Phae said as he ushered them into the brightly lit building. "Welcome to the Nursery."

"This is where you pick your Pokemon." He continued. "You can look up what is available on any of the computers on campus and they'll send them up to the school, but I recommend the short walk down to visit. Not all species are available all the time; it depends on the Detainer."

Lena looked puzzled. "Detainer?" She whispered to Ben who looked positively bored.

"Pokemon Detainer; that's what they call the people whose job it is to go out and catch the Pokemon the school uses in its reward program. It's a pretty great job; they hire people in late spring for the break." Ben eyed the computers, obviously antsy to see what was available.

Lena nodded, turning back to Phae who was explaining how long it takes to accumulate points. "If you do well in class you earn points there, as well as through extra-curricular stuff and participating in school events like the Spring Carnival."

Rania interrupted him by asking, "So what Pokemon have you got, Phae?"

A small smile played on his lips as he fished in his pocket for his pokeballs. "I have: Elekid, Houndoom, Pidgeotto, and my newest, Turtwig; just got him last week." Phae released them all and the first years stared at them with awe.

Lena eyed the Turtwig with curiosity. It wasn't often they got to lay eyes on less common Pokemon, especially ones from other regions. To Lena, Turtwig was foreign looking, a little odd. But she supposed local Pokemon to her would be foreign to those who didn't see them on a regular basis. After a little distant inspection Lena was quite sure that none of these Pokemon interested her in the least; they suited Phae but not her.

Phae returned all but his Houndoom and led them into the lobby of the Nursery just off to the left of the desk. Computers lined the same wall as the doorway while bookshelves filled to near exploding lined the opposite wall. Off to the right again there was a doorway leading into what looked like a reading room filled with squishy sofas and chairs; the room was brightly lit as it was all windows looking out onto the property that belonged to the Nursery.

"Phae, first group of the season!" A middle aged man barked as he emerged from a door behind the desk. He wasn't a tall man, at only 5'8", but he was broad and muscular. His dark brown hair was beginning to pepper with white at the temples and wrinkles appearing around his green eyes. Other than the wrinkles and bit of white hair Professor Dillon was young and spry.

Phae smiled. "As always! We like to keep ahead of the rest, you know how it is."

"Yes, yes, I do very much." He said dropping a box on a chair and coming out around the desk.

"Well Frosh, this is Professor Dillon. He heads the Nursery and teaches a few advanced classes each semester. If you need help with your Pokémon, he's the man to see." Phae smiled and placed his hand on top of his Houndoom's head with affection. "He's the reason Houndoom was my first!"

Professor Dillon chuckled. "Phae had a hard time accumulating points his first year,"

"Did not." Phae grumbled.

Ignoring Phae, Professor Dillon continued. "And when he had finally accumulated points for a Level 2 I helped him choose his Pokemon. Has anyone spoken to you about levels?" He asked the Frosh and then looked to Phae.

"No, I left that for you!"

"Well it's quite simple." He brought up a list on the closest computer and asked the Frosh to gather around. "100 points will get you a Level 1 Pokémon. These are Pokémon that are very common and easy for the Detainers to get. We usually keep a high stock of them in at all times. They include Pokémon like Pidgey, Sentret and Nidoran. As you increase your levels the harder it is for the Detainers to capture them and make them available. 210 points will get you a level 2, 310 a level 3, and 415 points will get you a level 4 Pokémon. Level 5 Pokémon are very rarely available and can include anything from Absol's and Skarmory to Dratini and Riolu. You will _very rarely_ ever see them in here and their point exchange can range from 500 to 580 depending on their training level and breed. Feel free to have a look on the computers and learn more about levels. We advise all students to research very carefully which Pokémon they choose for partners, hence the library of books on this side."

Phae shooed them away so he could talk to Professor Dillon alone and most went directly to the computers to look up some Pokémon. Lena perused the level 5's firstly; it seemed that the Professor was right. Currently there were only three level 5 Pokémon available: two Dratini and a single Tropius. Level 4's were mostly evolved Pokémon, like Charmeleon, while Level 3's were mostly baby Pokémon like Magby and Pichu and included some breeds that were not necessarily rare but more difficult to capture due to their habitats and distance from the school. It was the level 2's that interested Lena the most; they were more common Pokemon but those that took a bit of skill to acquire in the wild. Pikachu's were listed among this group, and the Nursery currently had 6 of them.

"Pikachu are absolutely adorable!" Quinn cooed from her spot next to Lena. "I want one. I think it will be my first."

"How long do you think it will take to accumulate points? It took Phae a long time; he's in his fourth year and only has four." Lena asked. Hopefully it wouldn't take her that long; she wanted six by the end of her fourth year.

Quinn shrugged. "You'll get them when you get them I suppose. You get them for doing well on assignments and papers, I know that much."

"My sister had two by the end of her first semester, but she had a hard time accumulating the points. She mostly got it through getting A's. If you get an A on a test or a term paper you get 10 points." Ben said leaning on the desk Lena was at. "And don't forget that we've already got points!"

Quinn pouted a bit. "I forgot that you two and Rania won the first challenge. I wonder how many points you got?"

They didn't have much time to wonder, as Phae called them back together again and marched them back up to the school for lunch. After lunch Phae gave the group free time and some advice. "You should pop down to the village to get your uniforms and pick up your materials and books at the book store in the village today or tomorrow or you'll be docked points on Monday classes. Also register for your courses today; you can do it online. See you at supper." With a wave Phae picked up his tray and put it on the trolley while his Houndoom obediently followed on his heels.

"Hey, Ben!" Saird said as he slid his tray from further down the table to be closer to their group. He was Ben's roommate and from what Lena could tell he seemed like a nice guy. He wasn't overly tall, only about 5'6" with green eyes and curly unruly hair like Dane's, though he definitely was not as childish looking. He's facial features were a little more mature and he sported a bit of scruff on his face. "We should head back to the house and sign up for our courses then head down to the village before supper to get our supplies and uniforms."

"Yeah, sounds like a good plan!" He turned to the girls and smiled. "Would you care to join us in our room to pick courses?"

"Yes!" Quinn exclaimed. "I want to take courses with people I know, I hate not knowing anyone!"

Lena smiled and nodded as she ate the last bit of her pasta and pushed her tray forward a bit. The group finished up their lunch and headed back to the house, up the stairs to the second floor and off to the right wing. Lena keyed open her door and grabbed her laptop from the desk, unplugging it, and crossing the hall to enter Ben's room. The rest of their group, Rania, Quinn and Saird, were already seated and Lena took the last place available in the window seat.

Her computer was already on and she eyed the main screen, clicking on the link that would take her to the school's website. She was prompted for a username and a password and she had no sweet clue what either was. "Anyone know what I put for username or password?"

"I think," Saird said from his spot on the bed, "that it's your first name for the username and your birthday, month then day then year for the password." He said as he typed in his and smiled. "Yup, that's it!"

Everyone quickly typed their information in. The main page pulled up with a picture of the plateau and school from an aerial view. On the left-hand side were links. Lena clicked on the one that said "Register for you courses" and it brought up a list of available courses for first years. Lena frowned slightly; they seemed to be pretty basic courses: Intro Poisons and Antidotes, Intro Breeding, Intro Care and Growth, etc.

"So there are three that we have to take." Rania said, flipping through the catalogue that Lena seemed to be missing. "And then we get two electives."

"Where did you get that catalogue?" Ben made to grab for it, but Rania moved it out of his reach.

"It was in our top desk drawer, didn't you even look in there?"

Ben gave her a look. "I was much too busy decorating." He made a motion with his had to point out his posters, pictures and ornaments. "Any way, what courses do we have to take?"

"Intro Care and Growth, Intro to Pokémon Anatomy, and Intro to Pokémon Behaviours." Rania listed them off.

Lena pulled up the three courses and had a look through the times_. Care and Growth_ was offered at 9:00 am and 11:00 am and ran an hour and a half long on Tuesday and Thursday; there were two options for _Anatomy_, from 2:00-5:00 on Monday or 1:30-3:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday; and _Behaviours _was offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 noon until 1:00. Lena made a note of the times of the courses on a post-it-note that Ben had passed around to all of them, and then went to browse through what her electives were going to be. There really weren't a whole lot of options open to first years as electives, but Lena found a course on the _History of Battle_ offered on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 until 3:30 that she decided on as well as a course called _Pokémon and Human Relations_ offered from 5:00 until 8:00 pm on Thursday nights.

"Lena, when are you taking _Care and Growth_?" Quinn asked from the foot of Ben's bed.

Lena gave her a look. "Definitely the 11am one, I'll never wake up for the 9am one. As for the rest of Tuesday, I have _History of Battle _at 2 and that's it. Monday I have _Behaviours _at 12 and _Anatomy_ at 2. Wednesday I have only _Behaviours_ at 12, the same for Friday, and on Thursday I have _Care and Growth_ at 11am, _History of Battle _at 2 and _Pokémon and Human Relations _at 5."

At the end of their registering Lena had all of her new friends in her _Behaviours _course; Rania and Ben in her _Care and Growth_; Saird was taking _History of Battle _with her while the other three took the _History of Show_ in the same time-slot; she was the only one in the _Pokémon and Human Relations _course, but that didn't bother her and they all decided to take _Anatomy_ at the same time.

They had only spent about an hour picking courses, and it was just past 1 o'clock when they headed down the road to the village with their bags and purses in tow. It was a good half-hour walk down-hill to the village and they met a few other groups on their way back up, each of them struggling with packages and bags filled to the brim with books and clothes and supplies.

* * *

To be continued........

Will be updated very shortly! Finishing up my exams and term papers! Stay tuned!

-gin


End file.
